366. The Unseen Beauty of My Wife: Chen Yao
“Is this a bit cliché? But it should be okay, right?” Chen Yao nervously held out a bouquet of roses, looking at Lin Nan for approval.
If he were to drop a grand thousand bucks on gifts like Chen Jiang, that wouldn’t be out of the question, but after that first time, the shock-to-Lin-Nan factor has been significantly dulled.
However, if he could create a sense of ceremony, something romantic, he was certain that Lin Nan had never experienced this kind of gift before.
Feeling jittery, he stared down at Lin Nan’s dazed expression, worried that this surprise might not hit the mark.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Yao noticed her blank stare and his limbs felt a bit awkward. “Too cheesy?”
Lin Nan just looked at him, then turned her gaze toward the candles on the coffee table. The flickering flames grew brighter, illuminating the table and everything around it.
To her surprise, she spotted a round plate with a kn*fe and fork on the table, crowned with a steaming hot steak right in the center.
The girl who moments ago had been expressionless now broke into a dazzling smile.
“No, no, how could this be cliché?” She fixated on the steak, gracefully accepting the roses while beaming.
That smile nearly turned Chen Yao’s insides to jelly. Sure, Lin Nan’s attention seemed to be drifting toward the steak instead of the roses, but judging by her satisfied expression, at least today’s plan didn’t flop.
Lin Nan took the roses, only to realize they weren’t plastic. Holding them, she could still catch a whiff of their fresh scent.
She bent down, gently pinching a petal, and acknowledged that the soft texture added a sprinkle of sweetness to her smile.
“I heard they can make cake with rose filling…” she mumbled, “I’ve never tried it before.”
“Next time I’ll check out the city center to see if they sell it. If they do, I’ll buy some for you to taste.”
Chen Yao extended his right hand in front of Lin Nan, sporting a satisfied smile.
Having seen this kind of scene in dramas, Lin Nan hesitated little. Her petite hand delicately rested in his palm, and lifting her head, she flashed a radiant grin, her eyebrows curving like crescent moons.
“Why do you have food on the brain all the time?” Chen Yao chuckled, tapping her forehead with the other hand, then looked deep into her eyes, “You look even prettier today than usual.”
This was the first time Lin Nan heard Chen Yao say something like that.
The air in the rental apartment seemed to be sprinkled with a faint blush, intoxicating and making Lin Nan feel a bit dazed, her eyes slightly misty.
While she didn’t have a strong craving for romance like the average girl, being caught up in it did bring about a wave of happiness that was quickly followed by a sense of being overwhelmed.
She nervously averted her gaze from Chen Yao, and a hint of blush crept onto her cheeks. Her heart raced, and after pondering for what felt like ages, she pouted her cheeks in dissatisfaction, “So, does that mean I’m usually ugly?”
“…”
Chen Yao sensed that Lin Nan’s comment was a recipe for disaster for the lovely atmosphere and quickly switched topics, “I bought you steak, you usually love eating that, right?”
“What grade is it?”
“M9. Two pieces cost me over three hundred bucks.” Chen Yao took Lin Nan’s hand and gently led her to the sofa.
He grabbed some pineapple beer from under the coffee table, popped it open for Lin Nan, pouring it into a fancy glass. He took the roses from her hands and arranged them in a transparent vase at the center of the table.
Those fancy glasses were a generous loan from Tu Junhui, who had bought two to drink mineral water; now they had been requisitioned by Chen Yao. The vase was a bargain from the local market, costing just a few bucks.
Though it wasn’t red wine, it was still alcohol!
Lin Nan stared eagerly at the steak on the table, suddenly perplexed. “Who made this steak?”
“Guess?” Chen Yao smiled, slicing off a small piece and offering it to her.
Without hesitation, she took a bite, and the burst of juicy flavor flooded her mouth, intensifying the happy vibe rushing through her brain.
Lin Nan felt a bit lightheaded.
Excitement, shyness, happiness… a cocktail of emotions swirling around.
“Is it that Tu Tu and Bear?” Lin Nan surmised, “Was the call on the playground to tell them it was time? They both bolted as soon as the bell rang.”
“And you were worried they wouldn’t have enough time to set up, so you insisted on taking a leisurely lap with me to buy them some time?”
After hearing Lin Nan’s thought process, Chen Yao nodded with a bright smile, “You’re pretty clever, aren’t you?”
“Let me guess… they’re probably outside munching on lemons right now,” Lin Nan peered at the door, picturing Tu Junhui eavesdropping and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Doubt it, they probably aren’t masochists. Who would intentionally torture themselves?” Chen Yao cut another piece of steak and popped it into Lin Nan’s mouth, then gently clinked his fancy glass against the one in her hand. “Take it easy, we’ve got class at four.”
“Skipped!”
“If we skip class, what should we do at home?” Chen Yao carefully nudged Lin Nan, trying to agree on something that would be beneficial for body and mind.
Lin Nan sipped some pineapple beer to wash down the greasy taste, instantly replying, “Let’s duo queue for ranks! I haven’t played ranked in ages and I’ve dropped to Master!”
Chen Yao’s smile froze, but as he caught a mischievous glimmer in Lin Nan’s candlelit eyes, he realized she was feigning ignorance.
She glanced back at Chen Yao, seeing his frozen smile, and hurriedly explained, “No, no, it’s still early days… not even a semblance of a plan…”
Her shoulders trembled slightly with nervousness, and Lin Nan sneakily checked Chen Yao’s expression, aware that keeping a strapping young man dangling was probably not ideal, even potentially damaging for him, but she still wasn’t ready to embrace that territory.
“Okay, how about after we get engaged?”
“Let’s just get married?” Lin Nan relaxed her grip a little, “What if I don’t delete your files on the computer?”
Despite living together daily, Xiao You’s mission remained intact. What a trooper!
Chen Yao sighed dramatically, but soon readjusted his mindset. After all, Lin Nan had only recently embraced her femininity; if it were that simple, it would’ve been strange.
“Food now! No more of this topic. Am I the type to ogle you?” Chen Yao swiftly shook off his thoughts, resting a hand on Lin Nan’s thigh, lightly massaging through the denim.
Lin Nan shot him a glance, “Aren’t you?”
“Of course not!” Chen Yao declared with conviction, “I’m in love with your inner self! I don’t even notice people’s appearances; I’m face-blind.”
“Pfft~”
